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Dianela Gahn

Dianela Gahn

Sociologist and strategic design researcher specializing in AI governance, sociotechnical systems, and inclusive design with expertise in UX research and interaction design.

Jul 10, 2026

Zahra StardustMODERATOR
40:27
Deanna, do you want to add something about users and the role of users in navigating all of this?
40:35
Yes, as you said, with the user agency, I don't think people are just simple trick by platforms.
40:45
People are creative, they are creating different strategies, they use technology in different ways that designers never intend.
40:54
I'm seeing in different of my research how WhatsApp groups, able to genuine civic infrastructure, you know, or supporting different network care or running communities or people like seeking connection there.
41:13
And also in an early research that I did in dating apps, I saw something similar with women's and LGTB community.
41:22
in a moment like for a lot of years almost 10 years like dating apps were like binary so user was like using different strategic to talk about their gender or their sexual elections you know and they was using like the biography there was like different tactics you know to reappropriate of that platform because that platform was like not designing for them and it was not listening to their users So there was like doing, reappropriate the platform for the different necessities, you know, and also for practice of care and mutual support and seeing that.
42:05
But at the same time, I think like agency, like individual people doing a strategic don't solve like the structural problem.

11 MINS LATER

Zahra StardustMODERATOR
52:50
think about like...

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